Specialty Food Magazine is the leading publication for retailers, manufacturers and foodservice professionals in the specialty food trade. It provides news, trends and business-building insights that help readers keep their businesses competitive.
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/1119718
SPECIALTY FOOD—WHAT IS SELLING NOW? Refrigerated, fresh, frozen, and plant-based con- tinue to dominate in terms of retail sales and cate- gories with the highest sales growth. The top 10 specialty food categories collectively repre- sented nearly half of all specialty food and beverage sales in 2018. Six of the top 10 categories by retail sales are sold in the refrigerated or frozen sections, led by Cheese and Plant-based Cheese, and Meat, Poultry, and Seafood. Refrigerated and Frozen Entrées, Frozen Desserts, and Yogurt and Kefir are still going strong. Refrigerated categories including entrées and juices and functional beverages are among categories Mintel forecasts to grow in the next five years. When looking at categories that grew the most between 2016 and 2018, many of the same patterns hold true. Plant-based Meat Alternatives claim two of the top three slots, while Refrigerated Beverages and Frozen Desserts continue to flourish. Though its growth is waning slightly, Frozen Desserts is the fastest-growing category in the top 10, driven by low/no sugar, premium, and plant-based varieties. Cheese and Plant-based Cheese Frozen, Refrigerated Meat, Poultry, Seafood Chips, Pretzels, Snacks Non-RTD Coffee and Hot Cocoa Bread and Baked Goods Chocolate and Other Confectionery Refrigerated Entrées Frozen Desserts Frozen Entrées (lunch, dinner) Yogurt and Kefir Refrigerated Plant-based Meat Alternatives Rice Cakes Frozen Plant-based Meat Alternatives Water Refrigerated RTD Tea and Coffee Shelf-Stable Creams and Creamers Refrigerated Creams and Creamers Frozen Desserts Jerky and Meat Snacks Refrigerated Pasta TOP 10 CATEGORIES WITH HIGHEST DOLLAR GROWTH Source: Mintel/SPINS "What's changing quickly is that when a disruptive cate- gory comes along, within 12 months or sometimes even less, it's getting over saturated." — executive vice president of a natural/specialty brand Source Mintel/SPINS top 10 retail sales S4 THE STATE OF THE SPECIALTY FOOD INDUSTRY "The whole plant-based thing is just crazy—how much of it there is. Some of it's good, some of it not. There is still some product development that [brands] need to work on more before they launch, but I think they are trying to get to market and just iterate along the way. I'm fascinated by it and there's definitely been a response from [our shoppers] for it. It's increasing awareness and consumption for something that is positive not only for our personal health but also the environment." – founder/co-owner of urban independent full- service natural/specialty supermarket